Blog Archive 2012

Creating a Life You LoveDecember 28, 2012Often, at the close of the year, we take stock and set goals for the future. We think about the Life we dream of, identifying destructive habits we’d like to leave behind and new, more constructive, ones we’d like to embody. We all wish to live a life we love. If that’s the case, why does it seem that so few of us actually do? Creating the life we desire should be easy, but for many reasons it isn’t....Click the pic for more

The Gift of DiscomfortDecember 21, 2012 We tend to seek comfort and avoid discomfort. Comfort is soothing, easy, peaceful. Comfort is, well, comfortable. But if we explore it more deeply, might discomfort be getting an undeserved, universal bad rap? Work with me for a moment. Think about the times during your life that you have been comfortable. I’ll bet a sense of peace comes to mind. But if you dig more deeply, perhaps also a feeling of boredom & complacency?...Click here to read more

Cleaning Up Your Financial ActDecember 7, 2012Almost everyone’s finances can use a little cleaning periodically. So whether yours just track a little dirt into the room or leave you wading hip deep in muck, below are 10 practices that will help them sparkle again in no time. Click here to read more

"Choose Your Energy: Change Your Life" Talk Radio Show Launch January 9, 2013December 4, 2012What's love got to do with it? Everything! On January 9, 2013, my new 60-minute weekly talk radio show, Choose Your Energy: Change Your Life, will begin airing globally on Wednesdays at 11am MT via VoiceAmerica.com’s brand new “EmPOWERment” channel. Each show will also re-broadcast on the channel 12 hours later and be available indefinitely 24/7 through the channel archive. Click here to read more

Recognizing Money Self-SabotageNovember 30, 2012Money, the lack of it, the fear of losing it, the dread of not having enough—tops the list of concerns of many people these days. That’s because the economy is in bad shape, you may say. But money fears predate today’s bad news. Even when the economy is flourishing, we still tend to be a debt-ridden society.Click here to read more

Speaking of MoneyNovember 23, 2012We live in a culture that encourages debt and denies the lost art of delaying gratification. And, like color that fades on a cheap paint job, the repercussions of this lifestyle are beginning to show. For example, researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus have found that high levels of income-eating debt, especially big credit-card bills, may be related to high blood pressure, insomnia and even problems with...Click here to read more

Your Relationship with MoneyNovember 16, 2012“When our money life aligns with our heart and soul, that’s financial wellness, that’s prosperity,” says Lynne Twist, author of "The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and Life". For most of us, this alignment is lacking. We work in jobs we dislike, just for the money. We’re more debt-ridden than any generation. We hogtie ourselves with such notions as...Click here to read more

Money TalksNovember 9, 2012Here’s a quick, three-part survey about one of the most powerful and pervasive stressors of our time: (A) What are the most frequent subjects of recurring relationship disagreements? (B) What’s the biggest fear men and women have about their future? (C) What secret do most people hold dearest? (Hint: It’s not sexual preferences.) The most common answers...Click here to read more

10 Strategies for Reducing Job Transition StressNovember 2, 2012With the economic and employment shifts of recent years, more frequent job transitions have become the new normal. And, anyone who’s ever changed jobs will tell you, job transitions can be stressful—whether they’re due to layoff, promotion or working extra hours because other workers were laid off. If you’re facing another new job, consider the following to smooth your transition and maximize...Click here to read more

The Creative CallOctober 26, 2012The sound may be faint as the stirring of butterfly wings or as loud as a brass band on Fourth of July. Or you may not hear a sound at all, but feel an urging, an inner pull, a sense of excitement and longing that resonates from within. This is the creative call, and it is universal, bidding each of us to bring something new into being.Click here to read more

Is Workplace Infighting Bringing You Down?October 12, 2012Is your workplace about as peaceful as the Middle East? Do you find you have to duck down in your cubicle to avoid the flying missiles and shrapnel of rumors and gossip? Infighting can cause a lot of work-related stress. When it comes to negativity and office politics, you can’t single-handedly eliminate them, but you can limit your involvement. Here are two suggestions...Click here to read more

The Power of PlayOctober 10, 2012If it feels like you have less leisure time and fewer unstructured “play” hours in your life, you’re not alone. Click here to read more

Say Goodbye to Shoulda, Coulda, WouldaSeptember 28, 2012Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “If only I could have done that differently?" This second guessing is a form of self-imposed stress. It happens when our self talk is full of should, could or would. “If I were good sister, I would have called my sister last night. If I were a good Mom, I would have studied with my daughter today. If I were a good spouse"...Click here to read more

Lead by ExampleSeptember 22, 2012Good leaders lead by example. By aligning their actions with what they say, they become a person others want to follow. When leaders say one thing but do another, they create confusion and stress. More important, they erode trust, a critical element of productive endeavors. You don’t have to be the “Boss” to be a leader. Here are just 10 of the dozens of ways anyone can lead by example...Click here to read more

Relationship Stress From Unclear ExpectationsSeptember 19, 2012One common cause of relationship stress is unclear expectations. The best solution for this dilemma is clear communication. So how do you have a productive conversation about expectations with your partner, friend, boss or colleague? Begin with a conversation opener such as: “I’m not sure I understand your expectations for this situation. I’d like to do my part to deliver a result we’ll both feel...Click here to read more

Authenticity: Limiting the Impact of Stress on Your RelationshipsSeptember 15, 2012Have you ever been guilty of taking your stress out on a friend or co-worker? Has a loved one been able to sense your stress at the end of the day before you even get through the door? It’s quite common for stress from one area of your life to seep into other areas. Next time stress in one area of your life threatens to put other relationships at risk, try...Click here to read more

Being Assertive Without Damaging Your RelationshipsSeptember 12, 2012Asking for what you want—and setting boundaries around what you don’t want—is a key life skill. But sometimes in our enthusiasm to practice this skill, we over-do our own assertiveness and end up with a partner who shuts down, gets angry or feels resentful. Here are four tips for expressing your assertiveness in a way that will actually strengthen, deepen and enrich your relationship...Click here to read more

10 Practices for Reducing StressSeptember 8, 2012From the regular, ongoing stress that comes from living in a complex, high-impact culture to specific life events that knock us for a loop, when the negative effects of non-stop stress accumulate, they damage our health physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Paying attention and recognizing when we hit stress “hot spots” is the essential first step. The second step is...Click here to read more

How Well Do You Manage Your Energy?September 5, 2012When relentless demands of a busy life take their toll on performance, we tend to think that managing our time better will improve the situation. If we can just work faster, multitask more efficiently, things will be better, we think, as we buy the latest time management gadget or software. However, as Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, authors of The Power of Full Engagement, explain, it is...Click here to read more

Proactive and Reactive Responses to StressSeptember 1, 2012What’s more useful in responding to stress—a proactive or a reactive response? Actually, it’s both! What’s important is to find healthy proactive and reactive responses. First, the proactive approach. Proactive approaches involve modifying your behavior or mindset before the stressful situation has occurred. Healthy proactive responses would include...Click here to read more

Eliminate Procrastination—NOW!August 29, 2012The truth is, most of us procrastinate about things we dislike or find difficult. When you procrastinate on projects or chores that you dread, how do you feel when the deadline is approaching? Even more paralyzed? So your procrastination has taken a tough situation and made it even tougher. Next time a tricky project is looming, instead of putting it off and increasing your stress, try these suggestions...Click here to read more

Embracing Creativity: Stress-Buster ExtraordinaireAugust 25, 2012Jessica is a high school English teacher. Her job entails stressful interactions with administration and students in addition to the pressures of lesson planning and grading. On days off, she prioritizes creative pursuits. She makes collages out of artifacts from world travels to Turkey and South America. She takes dance classes. Photography provides another way to untangle her mind...Click here to read more

10 Common Sources of StressAugust 22, 2012Ask people why they’re stressed and they’re likely to say that it’s these infernal deadlines or too much work and too little staff, or perhaps the family’s overpacked schedules. And while these can certainly add to a pressure-cooker atmosphere, they’re not really the greatest cause. At fault more than anything is the tremendous internal pressure and anxiety that we create for ourselves through the following...Click here to read more

High HopesAugust 18, 2012No matter your situation, what is the one thing you can always control? Your attitude. Your mindset. Your beliefs. Here are some possibilities to get your optimistic juices flowing. “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.”-William James. “I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.” -Winston Churchill...Click here to read more

How Good is Your Balance?August 15, 2012If trying to maintain balance in your life leaves you feeling like a tightrope walker, you’re not alone. Most of us have so many demands on our time and energy, life can feel like a three-ring circus. Take this quiz to see how well you are meeting responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and desires...Click here to read more

Stress: Name It and Tame ItAugust 11, 2012Would you be surprised to learn that stress has been named as an underlying factor in up to 90% of illnesses? One of the best ways to manage stress in your life is to first become aware of exactly what it is that causes you stress, because if you can name the stressors, then you can take the necessary steps to shift your perspective and neutralize the negative impact they have on you...Click here to read more

Recognizing and Avoiding BurnoutAugust 8, 2012“My candle burns at both ends/it will not last the night.” -Edna St. Vincent Millay. Burnout resists simple definition because it affects so many aspects of life. In their book, "Beyond Burnout", authors David Welch, Donald Medeiros and George Tate, describe burnout as a condition that affects us physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually. One of the first physical symptoms of burnout is...Click here to read more

To Do or Ta Dah, That is the QuestionAugust 4, 2012Not feeling appreciated by others for all we do can be a big source of stress. While we can’t change others into the appreciative, encouraging people we’d like them to be, a natural extension of our personal gratitude practice is appreciating and encouraging ourselves. Too often, we get to the end of the day and focus on all we didn’t get done rather than all that we did...Click here to read more

An Attitude of GratitudeAugust 1, 2012The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being and a faster rate of recovery from surgery...Click here to read more

Fostering Flow: Part 3 of 3July 28, 2012Here’s the final installment (for now) in the Tools for Fostering Flow. Getting the hang of the Flow thing yet? Relishing the sheer delight of an effort-less, stress-less, joy-filled existence based in Who you are Being NOT What you are Doing? Here are five more tools to take you even further on your Journey to Wholeness by super-charging your ability to tame stress and foster Flow...Click here to read more

Fostering Flow: Part 2 of 3July 25, 2012We pick up where we left off in the previous blog post. How have you been doing in your quest for Flow—that effort-less, stress-less, joy-filled existence based in Who you are Being NOT What you are Doing? Here are four more tools to take you further on your Journey to Wholeness by boosting your ability to minimize stress and foster Flow...Click here to read more

Fostering Flow: Part 1 of 3July 21, 2012When I talk of experiencing Flow, what exactly do I mean? Flow is anchored in fueling my core energy with Love, Respect, Curiosity, Compassion and Gratitude. For myself, every being, every encounter, every experience. When I live that way, even for just a moment, Flow is my word for the effort-less, stress-less, joy-filled result. My life becomes a fluid Journey to Wholeness grounded in Who I am Being NOT...Click here to read more

How Healthy Are Your Boundaries?July, 18, 2012Boundaries are those invisible lines you place around yourself so people know the limits of what they can say and do around you. Make your boundaries too solid and you build walls, too weak and you allow others’ actions to...Click here to read more

“Deborah demonstrates that curiosity, compassion and gratitude can be powerful transformative attitudes we extend to the world around us when we start by viewing ourselves with these same grace-based convictions.”

When you fall in love with yourself,everything else finally falls into place,with beauty, power, and grace.When you release the illusion of fearand embrace the truth of love,you will know in each momentwho you are and Whose you are.That, my dear friends,is more than enough. It is everything.―Deborah Jane Wells